Somali National Army (SNA) backed by AMISOM forces on Wednesday killed seven al-Shabaab militants in an operation on the outskirts of Beledweyn town in the central region of Hiran, a military officer confirmed on Thursday.
Salah Ya’qub, commander of SNA’s 27th Unit told reporters that the operation was a response for militants’ mortar attacks on Luq Jelow village.
“There was an intense clash between the army and the militants, but we finally drove the militants out of Luq Jelow village killing seven of them,” Ya’qub said. He added that the army freed two civilians who were detained by the militants.
He also said that their forces also destroyed a checkpoint the militants were using to ambush vehicles passing through the road.
The military officer said they will intensify military operations in the area still occupied by the group.
The latest operation came barely four days after government forces killed 13 al-Shabaab militants in another operation in Afmadow town in the country’s southern region of Lower Juba.
Government forces have made consecutive operations against al-Shabaab militants in central and southern regions in the recent months in an attempt to uproot al-Shabaab cells, but the militants still control swathes of rural areas in those regions conducting ambushes and planting land mines. Enditem
